


crystal clear

by craashintome



Category: Riverdale (TV 2017)
Genre: F/F, I'm so weak for these two jfc, but also angst, giving it to y'all because GOD KNOWS the writers wont, mentioned sin, oh boy, people were asking for it, soft, the different ways people find out about choni
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-04-22
Updated: 2018-04-22
Packaged: 2019-04-26 11:13:04
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,370
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14400963
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/craashintome/pseuds/craashintome
Summary: Cheryl and Toni are not subtle people.Or, the different ways people find out about Cheryl and Toni.





	crystal clear

**Author's Note:**

> this isn't really a companion to i'm a mess (but i'm the mess you wanted) but it is inspired because of how many people wanted me to write about how people found out about Cheryl and Toni.
> 
> so here it is y'all. jump in the garbage with the me.

**Veronica**

Veronica was the first to know, really.

She had suspected, of course. Toni’s determination to find Cheryl was a bit too intense for a platonic friendship.

There had been no time to process the confirmation of _Cheryl_ and _Toni_ when she interrupted their moment. The nuns chasing them had made sure of that.

But that didn’t stop Veronica from noticing the little details.

Toni had been cradling Cheryl’s face between her hands. It was the gentlest touch Veronica had ever seen someone use with Cheryl. How long had it been since someone treated her like that? Was that the first hug Cheryl had been given since Veronica had held her in the locker room, back when Jason’s loss was still fresh?

She silently cursed the nuns for forcing her to interrupt them.

They had clung to each other even while running. Cheryl clutched Toni’s hand like a lifeline as they made their way through the twisted tunnels under the nunnery. Toni only let go of Cheryl to help her up the steel ladder, and the second she pulled herself up their hands had found each other again.

It had taken fifteen minutes to get back to the truck. Cheryl was stumbling over her own feet, clearly exhausted. She insisted she was fine, but didn’t protest when Toni lifted her up and carried her the rest of the way.

She opened the truck door for them, and Toni gave her a grateful smile. Veronica slipped into the passenger seat, adjusting her seatbelt before glancing into the back of the truck.

Toni attempted to settle Cheryl into the seat next to her, but Cheryl let out a small whine and tightened her arms around Toni’s neck. Toni gave in without a fight, choosing instead to hold Cheryl closer to her.

Cheryl’s face was buried into the crook of Toni’s neck, but Veronica had a feeling she was smiling in her victory.

The drive back was quiet. Even Kevin was uncharacteristically silent.

He kept his eyes on the road. Cheryl kept her eyes closed. Veronica kept her eyes on the backseat.

And Toni?

Toni only had eyes for Cheryl.

Veronica was certain that Kevin could hit the back of a semi truck and Toni's gaze wouldn't flicker away from the girl curled up in her lap.

She was murmuring something to Cheryl that Veronica couldn’t make out. Rocking Cheryl lightly, her thumb rubbed soothingly against Cheryl’s hip.

But that wasn’t why Veronica couldn’t bring herself to stop watching them. It was the look on Toni’s face.

Veronica had spent her whole life in churches. Her family was old blooded Catholic, after all. She had never once missed a Sunday Mass.

Veronica had missed the New York cathedral. In Riverdale, the Catholic church barely had fifteen regular members. None of them had the look of reverence on their face that populated the Catholics of New York, whose very _core_ was their devotion to their God. Veronica hadn’t seen that look in months, not since her mother had uprooted their lives and moved them to Riverdale.

At least, not until this moment.

What a strange sight, seeing the face of the deeply religious reflected in Toni Topaz’s as she gazed at a trembling Cheryl Blossom.

Had Archie ever look at her like that? Like he was gazing at heavenly creature? Veronica winced at the realization that _no_ , he hadn’t.

Then again, Jughead had never looked at Betty like that. Her father hadn’t gazed at her mother in that way either.

Maybe that look was reserved for Cheryl and Toni.

Veronica could be okay with that.

After all the shit life had dealt the two of them, didn’t they deserve to be one of a kind?

* * *

**Sweet Pea**

Sweet Pea hadn’t seen Toni this anxious since the minutes before she performed the Serpent Dance.

She was even smaller then than she was now, her hands tugging her skirt down in vain. She had refused to look at him for two days afterwards.

Toni had always been Sweet Pea’s rock, but joining the Serpents had done wonders for her confidence.

That confidence was nowhere to be found tonight.

Toni had been dancing around him all evening. She had invited him for a movie night, but hadn’t been able to look him in the eye since he walked through the door.

Normally, “movie night” translated to play fighting, arm wrestling, and scrolling through Sweet Pea’s tinder account. Toni swiped left on everyone, insisting no one in Riverdale was good enough for him. The movie would be long forgotten by the time they collapsed onto Toni’s little twin bed.

Not tonight. Toni had turned on one of his favourite movies the second he stepped foot into her trailer.

She didn't even notice his attention had shifted from the movie to her. Toni’s eyes were glued firmly onto the screen, but the glassiness of them told him she wasn’t really watching it.

If it were Jughead or Fangs, they’d leave her alone. When Toni was wrapped up in her own head, they both thought it was better to let her work through it on her own.

Damn good thing he wasn’t Fangs or Jughead.

“So?” He prodded.

“So what?”

Sweet Pea leaned over and stole the remote from her coffee table. He turned the volume down. “You know what. You gonna tell me what the fuck is up with you, or are we going to keep pretending you actually like _Die Hard_?”

“I like _Die Hard_ , asshole.”

“No, you don’t.”

Toni sighed. “No, I don’t.”

Sweet Pea shoved her lightly. “Spill, Tiny. I’m no idiot. I know you well enough to know when shit’s going on.”

Toni rolled her eyes and let her voice take on a higher pitch. “So, what? Are we going to like, braid each other’s hair, paint each others nails, and, like, talk about boys?”

“Shut the fuck up.” Sweet Pea said, but there was no real malice in his tone. “Grow some goddamn balls and tell me what the hell is going on.”

“Misogynistic.” Toni rolled her eyes. “But, fine.”

Toni sighed before she reached over and smoothed Sweet Pea’s hair. The gesture made him ache for younger days, when he was a band-aid covered bundle of energy bouncing around a seedy playground and Toni was a brooding little six year old decked out in pink flannel.

She had always kept him in check. He was older than her, and infinitely larger, but privately he had always felt like Toni could be his older sister. She watched out for him even before they joined the Serpents, when the worst thing that could happen to him was a sprained wrist from falling off a skateboard.

Toni leaned back and took a shaking breath. “I’m dating someone.”

The words came out rushed, like she was trying to get them out of the way as quickly as possible.

“Okay.” Sweet Pea nodded, frowning slightly. “Nothing new. Who is it? That new guy? What’s his name, Adam? Or are you back together with Nancy? I’m gonna be pissed if it’s Nancy.”

“No, Sweets.” Toni whispered. “I’m not with Adam. Or Nancy.”

Sweet Pea knitted his eyebrows. “Then who? What’s with all the secrecy?”

“You have to promise not to get mad.”

“I’m not promising anything until you tell me.”

Toni brought her knees to her chest and kept her eyes on the tv. “It’s Cheryl. Cheryl Blossom.”

Sweet Pea stared at her like he’d never seen her before. “Please tell me you’re joking.”

Toni squared her shoulders, a sudden fire in her eyes. “No. I’m not. I’m with Cheryl.”

“What the actual _fuck_ , Topaz?” Sweet Pea yelled. He stood up from his spot on the floor, pacing back and forth and raking his hand through his hair. “Cheryl Blossom. Cheryl _fucking_ Blossom. You are _fucking_ the goddamn _ice queen_. The head Northside bitch herself. Un-fucking-believable.”

Toni stood up to, crossing her arms and narrowing her eyes dangerously. “You and I have been friends for a long time, Sweet Pea, but if you talk about Cheryl like that again I won’t hesitate to put you on your ass.”

Sweet Pea stopped in his tracks, and his anger began to leak out of him. “You’re that serious about this chick?”

“I’ve never been more serious about anything. She’s...I haven’t met anyone like her before. I don’t think I ever will again.”

“Yeah, there’s a reason for that, Toni.” Sweet Pea muttered. “You do know she _burned her house down_ , right?”

Toni nodded, and Sweet Pea watched in disbelief as a grin stretched over her face. “Yeah. I do. I know that Cheryl has done some batshit crazy things. But that’s part of it, Sweets. No one on earth would ever do or say the things she does, and I fucking live for it.”

Sweet Pea studied Toni’s face for a moment. She looked determined, and Sweet Pea knew in that moment nothing he could say would change Toni’s mind.

He crossed the room and wrapped Toni in his arms, crushing her to his chest.

“I think you’re nuts, Topaz, don’t get me wrong. But, if Blossom is this important to you, I’m not gonna stand in the way.”

He felt Toni’s smile through his shirt.

* * *

**Betty**

It was all a giant misunderstanding.

When Betty had asked Toni if she could help her out with _The Blue and Gold_ after school, she did so with completely innocent intentions. Toni was the best photographer she knew, after all, and Betty was getting tired of having to use blurry iPhone photos that Moose kept sending in.

Toni had practically skipped into the newspaper room. As it turned out, she had finally saved up enough from shifts at the bar to get a brand new camera to replace her old thrift shop one.

Betty had always been interested in mechanics, so when Toni had held it out for her to look at, she had jumped at the chance.

The only issue was that the camera was still strung across Toni’s neck. Betty didn’t even realize she was only a few inches away from Toni until a loud cough from the door made her stumble back and she nearly tripped over her own feet.

Cheryl stood in the doorway, and her glare was so intense Betty was surprised it hadn’t burned a hole through her shirt.

“What exactly is going on in here?” Cheryl’s eyes were narrowed, and her scowl riveled Jughead’s.

Toni didn’t seem to notice that Cheryl had mentally murdered Betty fifteen times in the past thirty seconds.

“Cher, look!” Toni held up her camera, looking like a kid on Christmas morning. Cheryl’s face softened ever so slightly. “I got it! FP gave me a bonus, so I drove to Centerville this morning.”

Cheryl crossed the room, shoving Betty aside without sparing her glance and wrapped her arms around Toni. “That’s so great, TT. Is that why you weren’t in English? I was worried.”

“Sorry, I should have texted you that I’d be gone. I was so excited, it must have slipped my mind.”

Cheryl gave Toni a sweet smile. “All is forgiven. Come on, let’s go and give that camera a test run.”

Cheryl gripped Toni’s wrist and tugged her out of the classroom, keeping a cold gaze on Betty as she did.

“Goodbye, cousin Betty. Now, why don’t you go find King Hobo to entertain you? I’m sure he has nothing better to do.”

Betty opened her mouth, but Cheryl had already disappeared, taking Toni with her.

For all her Nancy Drew detective skills, Betty only clued in later that night when she was visiting Jughead at the Whyte Wyrm. Jug was nowhere to be found, but she stayed to talk to Fangs. They had bonded after the musical, and she was in the middle of trying to set him up with Kevin when a flash of red caught her eye.

Cheryl was perched on Toni’s lap by the bar, murmuring into her ear. Toni threw her head back and laughed, which exposed her neck.

A _gigantic_ hickey had formed by Toni’s pulse point, marked with teeth. The bruise was so dark Betty was sure it could probably be seen from the International Space Station.

Oh.

 _Oh_.

Well, then.

They were cute, Betty supposed.

She made a mental note to make sure Jughead was present at the next newspaper meeting, for the sake of Toni’s neck.

* * *

  **Jughead**

Jughead watched in horror as Toni fell to the ground.

The Ghoulies peeled out the second they saw blood was shed, the cowards. The soaked knife was left behind in the dirt.

The Serpents rushed towards their fallen sister in what seemed like slow motion.

Sweet Pea leaned down and picked up Toni with a gentleness Jughead didn’t know he possessed. His face was dark and his tone was darker as he ordered Jughead to grab the knife and call his dad.

Jughead walked next to Sweet Pea as he carried Toni to his truck. He whispered reassurances to Toni as he helped Sweet Pea settle her into the backseat.

Toni, to her credit, didn’t cry the entire drive to Jughead’s trailer. She was pale and gaunt, and she would occasionally screw up her face in pain, but no tears left her eyes.

“Sweet Pea?” Toni managed to get out, her voice straining with effort.

“Yeah, Tiny?” Sweet Pea’s voice shook.

Toni coughed, and Jughead winced at the sound. “Call Cheryl. Please.”

“Yeah.” Sweet Pea choked out. “Yeah, course. I’m driving, though. Jughead, can you call her? You have her number, right?”

Jughead’s eyebrows furrowed. “Cheryl? As in _Cheryl Blossom_? _Why_?”

“Just fucking do it, Jones.” Sweet Pea glared. “We don’t have time for this.”

“Okay, okay, I’m calling her.”

Toni weakly gripped his hand. “Tell her where we’re going. She’ll want to know.”

Jughead nodded.

“And tell her not to worry.” Toni added. “I’m fine.”

Having a stab wound wasn’t exactly Jughead’s definition of _fine_ , but Toni wasn’t in any condition for an argument. He pressed Cheryl’s contact name in his phone for the first time in his life.

She picked up on the first ring.

 _“Jughead?”_ Cheryl’s voice rang out from the other end of the line. He tried not to be caught off guard by her use of his first name. _“What’s wrong? Did something happen?”_

Jughead had a million questions, but held them off. “Uh, yeah. A fight with the Ghoulies went south.”

“ _Oh God.”_ Cheryl whimpered. _“Is Toni...is Toni okay?”_

Sweet Pea grabbed the phone from Jughead’s hand.

“Ghoulie bastard got her with a knife in the shoulder, Red. We’re on the the way to FP’s place. She’s still conscious, so treating it is going to be a bitch. She’ll want you there, no matter how much she tells you to stay in the other room.”

Toni gave a weak protest from the backseat, but Sweet Pea ignored her. He nodded along with whatever Cheryl was saying, and then hung up.

“Your girl is on her way, Tiny. Probably with a league of doctors she’s paying to keep quiet. You’re going to be fine.” Sweet Pea sounded like he was assuring himself more than he was Toni.

Toni nodded slightly before leaning back and closing her eyes.

Jughead lifted himself up from the passenger seat and climbed into the back. He pressed his precious beanie to Toni’s shoulder in an effort to stop the bleeding.

Cheryl’s car was already in front of his dad’s trailer, and she almost took of the car door when she saw Sweet Pea’s truck pull in.

Sweet Pea lifted a groaning Toni from the backseat, and Jughead pretended not to see the tears that were ruining Cheryl’s makeup.

Toni was settled into the coach as gently as possible, and Cheryl dabbed at her forehead with a wet cloth as FP cleaned the wound.

“I’m so sorry, baby. The doctor can only see you in the morning.” Cheryl let out a sob. “I brought you medication for the pain to help get you through the night.”

Toni gripped Cheryl’s hand and gave her a weak smile. “Thanks, Cher.”

Cheryl brought Toni’s hand to her face and kissed it, then held it to her cheek.

Jughead gave Toni an inquisitive look, but she didn’t see it, too wrapped up in Cheryl Blossom.

His dad got up after fixing up Toni’s bandages and gripped Jughead’s shoulder.

“You know when that happened?” His dad jerked his chin towards the two girls.

“Didn’t even know it had happened, Dad.” Jughead whispered.

His dad let a smile smile form, eyes crinkling slightly. “Looks like Topaz has an underbelly after all.”

Jughead nodded slowly. After all the times Toni had given him shit for falling for Betty, there she was, wrapped up in the queen of the Northside. How fucking ironic.

He’d give her shit for it later. For now, he’d let them be.

* * *

  **Archie**

All Archie had wanted was to find the damn bathroom.

Reggie’s after party was in full swing. The Bulldogs had won the State Championship for the first time in five years, and the entire town lost its damn mind.

It seemed like the entirety of Riverdale High was stuffed into Reggie’s house. It felt like a fishbowl, and Archie couldn’t take it anymore.

Even the Southside students were here. Archie had spotted Fangs throwing up into a potted plant, and it looked like Sweet Pea was single handedly responsible for filling the living room with smoke.

Ronnie and Betty had disappeared early on, he had heard Kevin mention they were playing in the beer pong tournament in the backyard.

He and Jughead had spent most of the party in the kitchen, but there was only so many movie references Archie could take.

“I’m gonna go find the bathroom.” Archie said, putting his beer down on the counter.

“What?” Jughead asked.

“I’m going to find the bathroom!” Archie yelled. The pounding music was giving him a headache. “Do you know where it is?”

“Do I look like I know where Reggie Mantle’s bathroom is?” Jughead shouted over the music.

Archie rolled his eyes. He pushed his way through the crowd towards the staircase. The bathroom was probably upstairs.

He nearly tripped over Moose and Midge. They were passing a bong back and forth between them as they relaxed on the stairs. Archie caught of whiff and it launched him into a coughing fit.

He held his breath until he made it upstairs. The music was muffled, and Archie sent up a prayer of thanks. There were less people too, but the occasional sound coming from the closed doors made him scurry towards the end of the hall.

Archie had been to Reggie’s a couple times before, but it had been a few years. Still, he thought he remembered the bathroom being the last door on the right.

He tested the doorknob, and thankfully found it unlocked. It was still a party, though, and he couldn’t trust drunk teenagers to lock the bathroom door. He knocked twice, but there was no answer.

Archie swung the door open and flicked on the light. There was a shriek and a blur of movement.

“Andrews! What the _fuck_?” A female voice came from the bed in the middle of the room.

This was not the bathroom. Shit shit _shit_.

“Uh, I was just, uh-” Archie stuttered. He kept his gaze firmly on the ceiling.

“Being a goddamn _pervert_!”

Archie froze. He knew that voice.

“Wha- _Cheryl_?” Archie wheezed.

His gaze flicked down, and he immediately regretted it.

The two were thankfully still mostly dressed, but there was no mistaking that shade of red. Or the strands of pink hair belonging to the girl on top. Or the _Southside Serpent_ jacket strung across a chair.

Cheryl Blossom and Toni Topaz were…

Oh sweet Jesus.

“I’m just gonna...I’m gonna go.” Archie mumbled, his face burning.

“Close the door on your way out!” Toni called after him. Archie risked a glance towards her, and was horrified to see a smug grin stretched across her face.

Archie scurried out into the hall, slamming the door behind him.

Fuck, he needed a drink.


End file.
